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BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems has released the S410T replacement turbocharger for late model Mercedes MBE4000 engines. The S410T is covered by a one-year or 100,000-mi (161,000-km) repair-or-replace warranty.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the engineering costs that can be paid for with the federal funds to be dispatched to the auto industry via the Department of Energy's advanced technology vehicles loan program. The transition from the Bush to Obama administration only heightens the uncertainty.

The long-term goals of the EU are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20%, improve energy efficiency 20%, and obtain 20% of energy from renewable sources—all by 2020. Automobile emissions are set to be reduced to 95 g CO2/km, also by 2020.

With GKN Aerospace's recent acquisition of the Airbus wing component and assemblies manufacturing unit at Filton, U.K., EADS/Airbus has completed its aerostructures reorganization strategy. This initiative combines the divestment of non-core activities and sites, allowing Airbus to concentrate on its core business as an aircraft designer and integrator.

Airbus selected Goodrich Corp. to supply wheels and carbon brakes for all variants of the A350 XWB family of aircraft. The selection is expected to generate more than $3 billion in revenue over the life of the program.

Honeywell is providing the avionics subsystem for the new Constellation Space Suit System being developed by Oceaneering International Inc. Honeywell will design, develop, and integrate the advanced avionics for the Constellation Space Suit System as part of the Oceaneering team.

Northrop Grumman Corp. has been awarded a pair of contracts to outfit U.S. Marine Corps CH-53D and CH-46E helicopters with its Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system. Under the terms of the contracts, with a combined value of $13.3 million, Northrop Grumman will integrate the DIRCM self-protection system onto the CH-53D helicopter fleet, making the CH-53D the third Marine Corps rotary-wing platform to receive DIRCM protection from shoulder-launched, heat-seeking missile threats.

Rolls-Royce has been selected to design and develop a robust electrical power system (REPS) as part of the Integrated Vehicle Energy Technology component and subsystem development (INVENT-SDD). The $690,000 contract, awarded by the U.S.

QuesTek Innovations LLC has been awarded three Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects to develop new metal alloys for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The Evanston, IL-based materials solutions company will apply its proprietary Materials by Design R&D process to the design and development of the alloys.

Though this year’s Consumer Electronics Show mirrored the dreary economic times, suppliers in the intertwined consumer and automotive markets continued their efforts to bring more technologies into the vehicle. Television broadcasts are moving to augment telematics and HD radio, which are rapidly gaining momentum.

Southwest Airlines awarded GE Aviation a $40 million contract to provide the SDS-6000 large-area display suite for Boeing 737 Classic aircraft. First production deliveries will take place in early 2011.

The U.S FAA has authorized B/E Aerospace Inc.’s Flight Structures unit (FSI) to convert Airbus A300-600 passenger aircraft to freighters. The company previously announced that it had been awarded a $45 million contract by China Southern Airlines to convert six of its A300-600 passenger aircraft to freighters.

Goodrich Corp. and Rolls-Royce Group plc have formed a joint-venture company to develop and supply engine controls for Rolls-Royce aero engines. The company, Rolls-Royce Goodrich Engine Control Systems Ltd., operates as Aero Engine Controls, of which each company owns 50%.

NASA awarded a long-term contract to Orbital Sciences Corp. to provide cargo transportation services to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The contract, awarded under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program, has an expected value of $1.9 billion for cargo transportation missions to be conducted between 2011 and 2015.

Fairchild Controls, a business unit of EADS North America headquartered in Frederick, MD, has been selected to develop an airborne cooling system for Northrop Grumman Corp.’s ALQ-122 electronics suite installed on U.S.

Audi’s announcement that the already ultra-high-performance R8 is now available with a 5.2-L V10 engine flies in the face of the global economic slowdown and increasing emphasis on environmental cars. But Audi is convinced that there continues to be a place for such low-volume, high-powered cars.

Automotive window tinting can be a relatively high-cost item, but taping is a potentially financially effective alternative. One example: the use of 3M’s adhesive transfer tape has helped OE Sunshades, a manufacturer of automotive privacy shades, to accelerate lead times and switch production from the Far East.

The microprocessors that help automakers add many new features and functions continue to evolve, following trends of industries that have less demanding environments. A growing number of automotive applications are adopting dual-core devices and floating-point processors, though cost justification remains a barrier for both technologies.

Big changes for Porsche’s second-generation Boxster and Cayman sports cars reflect the engine technology developments for the 911, with upgrades bringing more power and better fuel efficiency to the flat-six units. The models are also available with Porsche’s PDK double-clutch gearbox.